Good Tidings of Great Joy
by fallenjedipadawan
Summary: My offering for this month's prompt. I chose the Police Station.


**a/n: Yes, I know it's short. I also know that the last month had been one of the most stressful of my life, between two family members in the hospital, running a house hold, NaNo, speech, keeping up my grades, and lots more I've been under a lot lately. Please review. Choose the Police Station. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own it. **

No one wanted to be there on Christmas. The building was covered in a sprinkling of snow, and its few occupants wished that they were at home. It was only the rookies who had been assigned the duty of sitting at the station all day. In such a small town nothing ever happened on Christmas day. They griped about their terrible luck, eating the meals they had cooked in the microwave instead of the sumptuous feasts that everyone else was enjoying. A young woman sighed, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand as she stared out the window at the desolate street. She smirked as she saw a solitary boy sitting on a park bench staring directly at the door to the police station. He was probably some delinquent who had chosen to spend the day with his buddies enjoying their "all-natural substances." On any other day she would have gone out and asked why he was looking so intently at the building but decided to give him some peace as a Christmas Present. Maybe he had chosen to come to the park because he had a bad home situation; often times the problems were elevated around the holidays and many teens fled their homes to escape for a little while.

"Hey, Pauline, you want to play go fish with us?" A young deputy called from across the room. The woman looked out the window once more before joining her coworker at a table to play the game.

"I win again!" Chortled the dark haired man as he flung his cards down on the table, "Jeeze Paulie, go fish is a simple game. You should be able to win at least once."

The woman shrugged her brown eyes skimming over the cards lying on the table before looking at the man. "If you were young why wouldn't you be home on Christmas?"

"Why kind of question is that?" He took a swig of his mountain dew.

"I don't know. I saw a boy in the park earlier and he made me think about it. I always loved being at home with my family on Christmas, it was the one time of the year we were all together."

Before the man could respond the door swung open, the bright light silhouetting the figure of a boy and his dog. He moved inside clapping his hands together, forcing clumps of snow to fall from his bright red, woolen gloves. He shut the door and grinned cheerfully at the two police officers; his cheeks were pink from the cold air, his blues eyes sparkled from hidden laughter, and blond her was coated in a light, sparkling layer of snow.

"Can I help you?" The man asked eyeing the gaudy, Burton jacket the boy wore. True it was several seasons old and the edges were worn, but the bright colors still caught the eye.

"Not really, I just thought it looked warm in here. Plus I thought you two might need some company."

"How did you know there were only two of us?" The man asked suspiciously.

"I saw you in the window. I could tell which one was which and I realized that there were only you two. The captain shouldn't need anymore then that on Christmas. Should he?"

The woman looked at him taking in his clothing, but without the critical looked her partner gave; true they were old and worn thin, but they were clean and, unlike many teens clothing, perfectly decent. "Wait. Were you in the park earlier?"

He nodded patting his dog, "Yep, Ned, here wanted to run around and I would have felt awful if I had kept him cooped up inside all day."

"Well right aren't you at home with your family? Its Christmas day, that's where you should be; not as some lousy police station.

He pulled a face, "I'm just passing through and got stuck here for the day. My family is visiting my grandmother in Seattle, but we got different plan schedule so they got out before the storm. My flight was canceled so I don't leave until tomorrow; I thought I would come visit. An old friend lived here, but they moved away. SO now you have the pleasure of spending the day with me." He grinned at her and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Alright then, do you want a cup of hot chocolate?"

"I would love one. That's sounds delicious doesn't it, Ned?" He fondled the dog's ears and sat down at the table with the two adults.

Pauline brushed snow off her jacket as she shoo her head so that it scattered from her hair. She couldn't remember the last time she had been in a snowball fight. The three had sat playing cards until the boy convinced the two adults to walk outside with him. Jack had relinquished his early doubts about the boy when he learned he had finally found someone that could beat him at go fish. It had started with snow falling from a tree to land on the man's shoulder and he had accused his friend of throwing it. Soon a full fledged snowball fight had started; of course the males had banded together, Pauline sniffed, only way they would ever win. Ned had been good and had sat next to her the entire time, but he wasn't much help when it cam to throwing the snowballs.

Now as the sun was setting the three walked back into the warm station building. The Labrador moved to take up his earlier position under the table, but the boy whistled for him. The god faithfully padded over to him. "We had best be going if we want to catch some sleep before our flight."

"Are you sure?" Pauline asked as she poured herself another steaming mug of cocoa.

"Positive. Thanks for letting us bother you all day."

"I think we all enjoyed it." Jack said shaking his hand.

Ben opened the door and let the dog pass through it before exiting as well. Pauline stepped out after him, closing the door softly behind her self. "Why were you really here today? No one had moved in years, and I don't believe you are actually heading to the airport. Here I'll get you a hotel room and we'll figure it out."

"Are a religious person?" He asked the question and she was startled by the unexpectedness of it.

"Semi."

"In the bible an angel is sent to the shepherds to bring them good tidings of great joy. Ned and I are like that, except we didn't bring good tidings. I don't need a hotel room or anything else you can give me. I simply was here today to help you enjoy Christmas as it should be enjoyed." With this he turned and sauntered down the road whistling a sea shanty as his dog bounded through the snow in front of him.

Maybe working at the police station on Christmas wasn't so bad after all.

**a/n: So what did you think? It wasn't my best work but it will do. Please review. **


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